Real
by HayashiOkami
Summary: If life is a journey and every hardship and joy a lesson, where does that leave two men whose lives ended years ago? They'll teach these foolish, innocent boys a lesson many never come to terms with: Life isn't fair and ignorance can't save you forever.
1. Chapter 1: Rocky

_If life is a journey and every hardship and joy a lesson, where does that leave two men whose lives ended years ago? Unable to let any n__aïve, blinded person __choose the same path they did, they'll teach these foolish, innocent boys a lesson many never come to term with: Life isn't fair and ignorance can't save you forever._

Well, here's the edited version of _Real_, in Rocky's point of view. Feel free to ask questions and give constructive criticism. In fact, I encourage it. I really do need feedback to write more. It gets me motivated. :)

* * *

Rocky observed the newcomer with a critical eye. He looked to be a withdrawn and mysterious person; neither his eyes nor his actions gave way to any apparent emotions. He had young features but looked as if he held the weight of the world on his shoulders; dark eyes gave off the impression that he had ageless knowledge. Of course, Rocky knew that wasn't true. Grandpa introduced the thirty five year old man as Susumu Yamazaki, an acquaintance of his who'd studied the arts of the ninja for years. For one month, he was to be their teacher while grandpa went on a well-needed vacation to his hometown, Kouga. He and his brothers were sad to see him go, but Rocky had looked forward to training with this new person.

Although he found himself thinking differently given the current situation.

Executing stance after stance of martial arts for three hours straight was tiring. Executing stance after stance of martial arts for three hours straight _in the pouring rain _was pure, utter _hell_. Susumu had briefly told them that it was a part of their training before he threw them out of the house and into the yard.

Tum-Tum grumbled numerous complaints while carrying out a few strikes next to him. Colt was near-cursing as a thankfully dull throwing star slipped in his hand, leaving only Rocky calm and unperturbed, as his ninja name suggested. Rocky held a sword, feeling it slip out of his grasp far too often than his liking. When a particularly strong slash sent it flying out of his grip, he simply picked it up again.

In the process of retrieving his sword after it had flown off towards the house, Rocky took some time to observe Susumu again. He'd tried to watch the man before, only to be scolded for slacking off. Rocky had been stunned that he'd sensed a lag in his actions, especially given that Susumu sat meditating a good distance away, his back to them.

Susumu was a person with a thin, lithe form who wore dark clothes that contrasted against his pale skin. Black hair was tied into a long, low-hanging ponytail and spiked in the front. He stood still as a stone, unwavering against the weather. For his age, Rocky admired his skills; grandpa had spoken highly of them.

Rocky lost track of time when he noticed a figure emerging from the house. He recognized it as Susumu's friend, a man named Souji Okita, who, according to Susumu, was a prestigious swordsman. Grandpa welcomed both of them with open arms, confident in their abilities to teach his grandsons. Both Rocky and his brothers had taken a liking to Souji and his sunny disposition instantly.

_He doesn't look strong enough to be as good as Mr. Yamazaki says, _Rocky considered as Souji approached them. For awhile, he and his brothers actually mistook Souji for a girl, until they'd addressed him as a "she" at which point Susumu had actually laughed at them. Well, he'd partially laughed, it seemed to be more of a scoff than anything. Souji bore them no ill-will even after he found out though; he merely smiled and laughed lightly.

Although, no one could blame them since Souji _was_ feminine, right down to the graceful way he walked. His Japanese outfit flowed behind him, its plain surface speckled with mud; he didn't seem to mind.

The young man came to a stop in front of their little practice area, all smiles and cheer. Tum-Tum was the first to ask the reason of his trudging out in the rain to talk to them.

"It's really late, can't you see?" Souji said, pointing at the dark and dreary sky. Rocky found him to be a bit childish in his actions.

"Mr. Yamazaki didn't say we could go yet," Rocky said, not daring to relent in his sword strokes. He really didn't want to see Susumu mad.

"Silly, you'll catch your death of cold out here," Souji giggled lightly. _Nope,_ Rocky thought, _not like Mr. Yamazaki_ _at all_. For a moment, the ninja could have sworn he saw Souji's face flicker with some unknown emotion, knowing only that it was sad. _Maybe that happy expression is only a mask,_ Rocky thought, trying to get a good look into Souji's eyes. The man's head was turned at an angle that made it impossible, though.

"We can't," said Tum-Tum. "We'll get in trouble." Rocky knew that the lack of rest was wearing down on the younger boy even though he spoke so energetically.

"Nonsense, you won't get in trouble. I'll take care of it, so go on inside. I made dinner." Souji gave them a reassuring nod and walked off to Susumu.

"Well?" Colt said, stopping after they watched him go. "I'm dead tired. Let's go in."

"Yeah, me too," Rocky agreed as they headed back towards the house. As Colt closed the door behind him, he heard Souji shout a loud greeting to Susumu.

Somewhere along the way, he abandoned his sword in the mud.

Following a hot bath, Rocky met his brothers in the kitchen. They weren't eating.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sliding into a chair, exhaustion seeping into his bones.

"I don't think that food's…edible," Colt said. Rocky couldn't help but think that his face was greenish.

"It's not that bad, is it?"

"Look," Tum-Tum said, grabbing a bowl from the counter and tilting it to show its contents. Rocky peered over the edge and blanched at the mushy gruel that stared back. Some sort of vegetable-like strips were laid out on top of the mess that vaguely looked like it had grains of rice in it.

"It looks a bit like oatmeal," Rocky said, poking a finger into the food, which was slightly watery. He held it to his tongue tentatively.

"Don't!" Colt cried dramatically. "You'll poison yourself."

"No I won't. I doubt Mr. Okita would feed us something inedible," Rocky stared at his brother in skepticism. He wasn't too sure about the gruel though, because it did seem strange. A lick revealed that it wasn't too bad, more tasteless than anything.

"It's just rice you know," said a voice from the hall. Rocky and his brothers turned to see Souji standing in fresh clothes and combing his incredibly long hair. "It's called _kayu_. We give it to sick people; it's easy on the stomach. I can't cook well, but I found some leftover rice and used that. It's probably the only dish I _can _make," Souji laughed. "I _do _get sick often."

"So…it's edible…?" Colt said slowly.

"Perfectly." Souji took a seat across from Rocky and set the bowls down in front of them. He started eating and it didn't seem _too_ bad, so Rocky and his brothers followed suit.

"Ew," Colt said as he made an exaggerated gagging noise. "Nasty."

"It's okay," Tum-Tum said through a mouthful. Rocky agreed with a nod.

Shortly, Susumu emerged from the bathroom, dressed in clothes similar to Souji's, only characteristically darker, and his hair dripping freely. Rocky envied how he didn't look tired at all, while he felt as if he'd collapse any minute now. Susumu settled into a chair next to his friend, casting him a questioning glance once he saw the food. Souji smiled at him.

"Whatever," Susumu shrugged.

Half-way through their strange meal Susumu paused and looked up at Rocky and his brothers.

"You do know why we trained in the rain, don't you?"

"Yeah, you wanted to test us," Tum-Tum put it through another mouth full food.

"Chew, Tum-Tum," said Colt in monotone. He was more than used to telling him that.

"Not exactly. You grandfather gave me a run down on what he's taught you all so far. I wanted you to get that the weather won't always work out to your liking. It's unavoidable. So be prepared because I think that this rain's going to last through to tomorrow."

Rocky nodded absently, swirling his spoon in the mush. He was just ready to sleep.

Later that evening when the three ninja were in their beds, Colt's talking kept his brothers up even though they _really_ wanted to sleep.

"What do you think about them?"

"They're nice, I suppose," Rocky yawned, burrowing into his pillow.

"Yeah," Tum-Tum agreed, although he was mostly asleep by now.

"I wonder where grandpa knows them from."

"Japan?"

"Probably. Wonder how he got in contact with them. Mr. Yamazaki and Mr. Okita nearly had a heart attack when they heard the phone ring," Colt pointed out.

"Can't this wait?" Rocky mumbled his eyes already closed.

"No."

"They freaked at the TV too," Tum-Tum said. "And the lights and the fridge and…"

"And just about everything technological."

"…Weird. They're like…the Amish people…" said Colt.

"Colt? Listen to yourself talk."

"Hey, Tum-Tum, Tum-Tum?"

"I think he fell asleep. And I am going to as well. Night," Rocky said.

"Night."

* * *

The next day brought no relief from the rain and no breaks in the grey expanse of sky that draped against the world. The gloom that appeared to seep into every crevice in the house couldn't even be flushed out by the lights. The three boys' room was no different as Susumu crept up the stairs on the silent feet. In his hand he held a bamboo stick that still held its green leaves along its length. It was a bit of an old trick used by Mori to wake his grandsons, but Susumu figured it would suffice. He'd find more creative ways of waking them when he got the chance.

Rocky acted immediately to the leaves tickling his face, snatching at a handful of green as he woke. He wondered at the repetitiveness of it, but he and his brothers didn't ask as Susumu herded them downstairs. Before he left, Rocky caught a glance at the clock besides his pillow that read five o' clock. Trudging down the stairs, he groaned at the long day ahead of them.

"Five more times, then you can go," Susumu barked at the ninja. For hours he'd drilled them in performing stance after stance using bamboo staffs. And although the sun peeked out from behind the clouds tauntingly, the rain giving no signs of letting up.

Rocky grunted in exertion as he gave one final downward slash with the pole. Sweat beaded his head and his chest heaved despite the cold rain sinking into his clothes. He walked a few steps, only to slip on the slick surface of the tiled roof. He cursed.

"Why'd we have to train on the roof?" Colt mumbled behind him.

"You don't know how many fights I've fought on rooftops with or without rain. It's a valuable thing to learn to cope with," Susumu pointed out. Rocky started down the ladder carefully, thinking that their new teacher must have been insane to let them train of a roof all morning long. He let go of the ladder as he neared the bottom and waited for his brothers to catch up.

"Come on, let's see what monstrosity we have for lunch!" he called.

"Yeah, after that egg roll thing for breakfast…" said Colt, a grimace on his face.

"Hey, that wasn't that bad," Tum-Tum said, bouncing behind them.

"How do you still have the energy to run?" Rocky said as they walked inside. Tum-Tum shrugged.

Following a hot bath, the three boys met up for lunch in the kitchen. They entered suspiciously, not sure whether to be afraid or relived that they couldn't smell any strange foods cooking.

"Itadakimasu!" Souji said cheerily. Rice balls wrapped in seaweed, noodles that didn't seem very hot at all, and a bit of grilled chicken adorned the few plates Souji set out in the middle of the table. The young man placed bowls of rice in front of the boys before settling down to his own.

"Ita-what?" Tum-Tum commented, voicing exactly what Rocky was going to. He thought it sounded Japanese.

"Itadakimasu, I guess you can translate it to…thanks for the food, or something," Souji shrugged.

After lunch (which was not _that _bad), the brothers had the rest of the afternoon to themselves which they spent playing video games in their rooms. Rocky also checked in on Souji a few times, just to see how the man spent his time every day.

Currently he sat on the couch, hands folded around a cup of tea, the position they usually found him in. The more noticeable thing was that at his side a little folded piece of paper no more than two inches high sat propped up against him, which he kept glancing back at. From his position on the stairs, Rocky couldn't make out what it was. He inched closer, anxious to get a better look, hoping that it would reveal something about the mysterious man. The stair under him creaked lightly at the most inopportune moment, alerting his presence.

"Oh, Samuel, was it?" Souji said quietly, almost contemplating something far away in his mind, not really talking to the boy. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, no," Rocky said hastily, ready to make a quick escape. The swordsman's mood didn't let him though. It rooted him to the spot. "I was just wondering…wondering what that is."

He pointed to the piece of paper.

"It's a paper crane," Souji said, lifting the tiny object for him to see. Rocky came closer and stared in wonder at it. It was made of paper alright, a paper with a fine-looking surface and a design of golden, brown, and other dark colors in the patterns of flowers. Perfect, neat creases and evenly proportioned body parts gave the impression that its maker had folded it with precise care.

Rocky gave him a stare that told him to go on, but Souji remained silent. Eventually Rocky gave up pursuing the man for the clearly deeper meaning the little piece of paper held.

Susumu finally came inside near dinnertime, soaked to the bone. Souji shot from his seat and ran to his friend, fretting over him, a towel in hand. Rocky laughed as the more feminine man patted their teacher's head with the towel like he was a child. Susumu was clearly annoyed and brushed it off, making a hasty retreat to the bathroom.

"Susumu needs to laugh sometimes," Souji said, folding the towel up and replacing it on the counter. "He's too stiff."

"Yeah," Rocky nodded, unable to help but agree.

Later that night, lying awake in bed, Rocky told his brothers of his findings with the paper crane and Souji's lonesome contemplation.

"Why are you two uncovering their lives like a mystery?" Tum-Tum asked. "Do you think they're criminals or something?"

"Nah, it's just that they act weird," Colt said.

"Yeah," said Rocky.

"When did you start talking so philosophically?"

"What?"

"You just ruined it."

"I'm tired." That was Rocky.

"Then go to sleep," said Colt.

"I can't, with you two jabbering away here."

"…Whatever."

"Good night."

"Night."

"Good night."

* * *

Footnotes:

1 Kayu- A Japanese dish often made of leftover rice. It is watery and somewhat like oatmeal. Since it is easy to eat and easily digestible, it is often served to sick people. Sometimes vegetables, meat, or eggs are served with it.

2 Itadakimasu- A phrase used by Japanese people to sort of express one's thanks for a meal. Said before eating.

3 Soba noodles- Buckwheat noodles. Often served cooled.

In the next few chapters, look out for that someone who made the paper crane. It should play an important part later on.

The next chapter will be in Susumu's point of view and you get to learn more about the three ninja's mysterious teacher. You will also get more of a background to his reasoning of teaching them.

As an extra sneak peek, I've nearly completed the third chapter, which is in Souji's point of view.

If you readers have any ideas of possible life lessons the three ninja's can be taught, feel free to leave it in a review!

I hoped you enjoyed reading this!

**Update 8/27/09:** Fixed a few spacing and extra character errors.


	2. Chapter 2: Susumu

Hello again! Here's the second chapter of _Real_. It's in Susumu's point of view, and is actually more of a speculation than the last chapter. It documents part of Susumu's life as well as small parts of Souji's. The sections are short, and again, feel free to review with comments/questions/concerns.

* * *

It was the simple things in life Susumu appreciated the most, the little things he didn't notice he had until they were gone.

Things like his sister and the fireworks during the Gion Festival and his companions in the Shinsengumi and…

And his life.

* * *

The bitter tang of sweat that usually clung to the air was smothered by rain in the last two days. Rain didn't bother Susumu as much as it did his young protégés; it was almost like a friend this far into his existence. It marked the beginning and the end of everything.

It was there when Tetsu joined the Shinsengumi as a page, it rained when Susumu's sister died, it rained on the night of the Ikeda-ya Incident, and it didn't even leave him alone when he died. He remembered the icy chill that was so, so cold.

Perhaps, it meant something this time around, too.

If someone were to ask Susumu his reason for teaching these three young, foolish kids, he wouldn't have an answer for them now or ever. It just felt like it was something he _had_ to do.

He thanked the heavens that Souji didn't press for that answer.

* * *

On the first night that it rained Susumu lay under the covers of his futon, listening to the muffled murmurs of the boys upstairs, the pattering of rain on the rooftop, and Souji's soft, clear breathing next to him. A light hum from the kitchen sent shivers down his spine, as unnatural as it was.

But of these sounds, the one Susumu found the most alien of all was Souji's breathing, a clear and unhindered whistling. In their living years a horrid disease known to them only as Consumption, a wasting disease of the lungs, had plagued Souji. The grating, scratchy intakes of air grew increasingly worse until he didn't even need to be in close proximity to hear it. Susumu, besides being a ninja, was an educated man, and a doctor to top it off. He'd been the doctor for the Shinsengumi all those years ago, and the one to diagnose Souji's disease and treat him for a short while.

Souji had been given various medicines, mostly for coughs, and all that had done was relieve the itching and pain momentarily. After he died, it had slowly cleared up until he reached the condition he was in today, healthy and sound.

Susumu thanked the heavens for that, too, and he knew that Souji did as well.

* * *

Susumu hadn't thought it possible to come back to life, even temporarily, but with two years of research, they found a way. Admittedly, it only lasted for a month and required various, hard-to-find resources to execute, but that one month was well worth it. He was glad, in a way that it only lasted for a month. While it made him pressured for time, it also reassured him that when this was done and over with, he and Souji would never meet these boys again. So even if one of them went home and looked up their names, all they would be left with were memories that might or might not have been real.

When (and if) they found out that Souji Okita used to be the first captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, who died years and years ago in the July of 1868, how would they react?

And if they found out that Susumu Yamazaki was a real spy who died in the same year, at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi?

Inwardly, he chuckled.

* * *

Susumu didn't really regret becoming a ninja.

But Susumu acted more like a samurai, his sister had told him that repeatedly.

Susumu was called a great ninja. He didn't think so. He failed as a ninja, and he failed as a brother.

He never called her _older sister_.

She never thought of him as her _little brother_. She told him to never think of her as his older sister.

But despite what she said _she cared for him all along_. She gave her life so that he could live. And Susumu took her words to heart and didn't think of her as _older sister_ until she died. He was foolish. So foolish.

Currently his hands cradled his head, fingers tugging at his hair. His chest ached again, a feeling he once mistook for anger when it was really sadness. He didn't know emotions then, because ninja never showed emotion, and this was just one hard lesson that he had to teach the boys, but how? How to tell them that they couldn't _feel_ anymore? It was something that his sister had drilled into him after years of knowing her.

Tears blurred his vision.

"_What a horrible face. What kind of ninja laughs or cries?_"

He remembered crying over something petty, like getting hurt training or being fed up with a lesson. Those days were simple; there were no Shinsengumi, any blood baths and Kyoto madness, just him, his sister, and their uncle.

"_Are you saying that you're scared or embarrassed again?_"

Yes, he'd probably been scared of the dark shadows lurking about the compound at night and embarrassed of his own mistakes. He didn't know why he acted like that; he was raised not to do so.

"_Throw those emotions away._"

But it was hard to then, and it was hard to now. He couldn't help it.

"_No one will be there to help you. You have to do everything on your own._"

_No, no, you're wrong, sis,_ he thought, _I have friends now_. _You made sure that I had friends to take care of me when you left_. _I'm not alone, not even now_. _Okita-san's__ here with me, isn't he_? _I don't have to do this by myself_.

"_You're not a samurai. You're a ninja!_"

He always acted like a samurai, he supposed, and that was what he needed to tell those boys. They couldn't be samurai and fight for what they thought was right if they were going to be ninja. Bushido is for samurai, and there's no need for a ninja to know it.

Samurai are bound by a code of honor and ninja are not.

He'd almost tried to commit _seppuku_ for failing his commander and messing up the mission, but his sister had stopped him and scolded him, saying those exact words. There was no need to throw away his life for a Bushido he wasn't supposed to follow.

He guessed that he should have been a samurai.

(Although some might have said that he died as one, as he had full confidence from his superiors and was one of the most faithful members of the Shinsengumi until the moment his life ended.)

"_Don't think of me as your sister. I don't think of you as my brother._"

That might have stung him when he was younger, but after a few years it didn't bother him anymore. Maybe he should tell those kids to think like that. It could work, if just to see how they react to such a prospect.

"_Listen, when you grow up a little more, disguise yourself as me and work._"

It was those words that eventually killed her. Susumu did admit, he could pull off being his sister very convincingly, but it was his mistakes that got her killed.

"_Then…Then…if you make a mistake, I'll die and you'll live._"

She did care. She cared for her brother in her own way, only Susumu had never been aware of it until it was too late for him to thank her in any way. It was his sister who gave him a second chance when it was he who should have died.

He was a complete fool.

He was worthless.

And he was pissed. (_No, you're sad, that's all…just sad._)

…But perhaps even the greatest ninja really aren't void of all emotion after all.

* * *

By morning clockwork Susumu woke, vision blurred, eyes squinting in the bright rays beaming in through the windows. The sky outside was a clear light blue speckled with the whites of clouds. Susumu let himself crack a small smile, reminded of a sea of white and blue uniforms and mountain stripes marching on patrol in the early Kyoto mornings, the red banner of _Makoto_ billowing in the wind.

Warmth moved at his side and Susumu turned his head to see Souji curled up under the covers close to him, muttering a few indistinguishable words and the name "Hijikata". A part of his pale face peeked out from the covers, angelic looking, frail, and empty of worries of past and present. Susumu wasn't fooled, he'd seen both of Souji's sides before and frankly, he (and many others) preferred this one much more to the other.

Susumu couldn't find in himself to disturb the younger man so, for the moment, he remained where he was.

"_Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment._"

Yes, everything would be alright, come hell or high waters, because he wasn't alone in this. Souji was here and all of their comrades were looking out for them even if they couldn't see it.

But _now_ was all that mattered, all he should appreciate.

* * *

Footnotes:

1 Gion Festival- An annual festival that has taken place in Kyoto, Japan for centuries.

2 Shinsengumi- Translated as: "newly selected corps", a special police force of the late shogun ruled period (mid-1800s'). Feared for their ruthless tactics.

3 Tetsunosuke Ichimura- A real person, page of Hijikata, the vice commander of the Shinsengumi.

4 Ikeda-ya Incident- Hard to explain, please look it up if you're curious. Very important, however.

5 Consumption…- An old name for tuberculosis, a "wasting disease" from the way it destroys the lungs from the inside out, thus "consumption".

6 The real Yamazaki was all of these things, although I don't know about him treating Souji.

7 As cited by Wikipedia, he took _Kyorou Sanyaku_, a medicine for enervation and coughs.

8 July 1868, Okita died

9 Battle of Toba-Fushimi- Four day battle near Fushimi, ended in a defeat for the Tokugawa. Yamazaki died of severe injuries.

10 Older sister- In Japanese, he called her _ane-ue_, (which is hard to pronounce for me…I like plain '_ane_' better; the -_ue_ is for politeness). _Ane_ is the word used for older sister. His sister is fictional, take from _Peacemaker Kurogane_.

11 Younger brother- This is _otouto_, for younger brother.

12 In _Peacemaker_, before she left on the mission that she knew she wouldn't come back from, his sister requested to the page, Tetsu, to 'take care of" her little brother and to teach him happy things, fun things, and cool things, because he didn't know any of that.

13 Okita-san- He calls Souji by his last name because he respects him and doesn't know him well enough to call him by his first name. –san is a respectful term, English equivalent is Mr., Mrs., etc.

14 Bushido- "Way of the Warrior", the samurai code of honor that emphasized discipline, courage, and loyalty.

15 Seppuku- Ritual suicide by disembowelment.

16 Quotes from episode 19 of _Peacemaker_.

17 Makoto banner- The symbol and 'motto' of sorts of the Shinsengumi. Means truth or sincerity. The banner was red and the character white.

18 Buddha quote.

Eek, that's a lot of footnotes...

Next up is Souji, then Colt and Tum-Tum. Finally is Grandpa.

And don't forget about the paper-crane guy. Maybe I'll show him later.

**Update 5/15/09**: I removed the footnote numbers within the story.


	3. Chapter 3: Souji

* * *

"What do you mean we're not training today?" all three boys said in a rather irritated unison the next day.

"How many times must I repeat myself with you three...We're not training today."

"But you said that we can't get better if we don't train. You're contradicting yourself," Colt pointed out in a relatively stuck-up matter. Susumu shook his head and motioned for them to follow him out of the kitchen where they were having breakfast and into the living room. He and Souji had rolled up their futons and stacked them along the wall, leaving a clear space for everyone to sit.

"Take a seat, get comfortable. We won't be moving anytime soon." The boys gave him a curious look as they settled down on the wooden floor, Susumu going to sit on the sofa with Souji. He paused for a moment, sorting out his thoughts.

"Now, what do you boys think being a ninja is all about?"

"It's about heart, mind, body, and spirit!" Colt answered immediately. Susumu smirked, glad that their grandfather had taught them that much, but that was only half of the truth he needed to convey to them within his limited training.

"A good answer, but not the best," he said. "Moving on…What is a ninja's duty?"

"Duty?" Tum-Tum said, screwing up his nose in confusion. "Like, a job? Well…"

"We protect people and fight out of self-defense," Rocky put in, sounding just as confident as Colt did, although a great deal less snobbish.

"Not really," said Susumu, shaking his head in disappointment. And right when he thought that he was actually getting somewhere… He had really hoped that it wouldn't come down to this so soon. He didn't want to tell them the truth, in a way, because then they wouldn't see things the same again.

"What a ninja _really_ is…" he started, mulling the translated words over, searching for the right words. "A ninja is a spy that gathers information for an employer. Sometimes they perform assassination missions. Every concept of a ninja that you have…is mostly wrong. You know the stereotype."

"…What the hell are you talking about?" Colt asked with crossed arms and angry eyes after a moment.

"I'm saying that if you want to fight to protect people, then you shouldn't call yourself a ninja. I don't know what you should be, but not a ninja. Whether you like it or not, even if a job includes killing innocents, you have to do it. You don't have a choice in the matter. And before you say anything else, I implore you to remember who I am. Everything I say is the truth, because I've experienced it all before…So I'll let you go spar for a bit, and you think about what I've said."

Susumu shooed the still shocked and slightly angry boys out of the living room into the backyard before they could counteract his words. He returned to the living room and collapsed on the sofa, letting out a sigh of frustration, unable to believe that was what they thought of a ninja, something so far from the real truth. He wondered if he could drill it into them now, after they so strongly stated what they thought to be true.

"I'll go talk to them, if you'd like," Souji, who hadn't commented at all during the talk, offered. His voice soothed Susumu's temper a bit so he reluctantly agreed. Watching the frail swordsman leave, he knew that if Souji couldn't get them to at least consider what he'd said, then all hope was lost.

* * *

Damp air clung to Souji's skin when he walked out of the house into the backyard. The thick canopy of trees cast speckled patters on the forest floor. Leaves glinted like a fresh morning dew. The musty after smell of rain in the undergrowth assaulted his nose, but it was as welcomed as the feel of the sun's rays on his skin, bringing a smile to his lips.

Nostalgic memories crept into his thoughts, memories of those quiet, havoc-filled days in the Shinsengumi, before he'd been diagnosed with tuberculosis. On days like this, he'd be out in the garden or perhaps on the walkway right outside his room, petting Saizou his pet pig and enjoying the morning. Maybe he would steal Hijikata's haiku book, read that, and quote it during lunch to get a rise out of the older man. Or perhaps he'd spend the morning in Hijikata's company, sitting in the vice-chief's office with the doors wide open to let in the air. The dojo would be filled already, sounds of training ringing throughout the compound. Delicious smells would waft from the kitchens where Ayumu would be preparing the meals for the day or maybe she wouldn't be there at all, out running a mission, and one of the captains would try their hand at cooking instead. Tetsu would be running his page duties, hurry to bring Hijikata some tea, spill the tray just as he stepped in the room, and Hijikata would be furious at him and Souji would smile and-

-And everything would be right with the world.

But that wasn't going to happen again.

They couldn't go back now, or ever. Even if they got together again it wouldn't be the same.

Their time had come and gone with the tides of fate.

"What's wrong Mr. Okita?" Tum-Tum asked, breaking him of his reverie. "You look sad." Souji turned to the boy and shook his head, dark hair swaying from the movement. It must have made him seem ghostly, he thought.

"I wouldn't call it sadness," Souji said, a smile coming to his lips once more. "I'm just…reminiscing."

Tum-Tum nodded after a moment's thought and returned to his brothers and their training, leaving Souji alone in front of the house. He didn't mind it so much, content to stand there and observe the forest, except he had offered to talk to the boys for Susumu. Souji walked around the side of the house, the fresh earth soft against his sandals. He liked it here much better than the city they'd been in a few weeks ago where the roads were hard on the feet and sounds ruptured the eardrums.

Rounding the corner, he saw the three brothers working diligently on some shuriken-throwing and sword fighting. The clash of metal on metal rang through the air, another thing about this place that reminded Souji of days long past. In fact, it stirred up a long-lost sensation in his chest, a burning, vicious one that tore at his very being.

Now his hand itched for a hilt to grasp.

He wasn't wearing the proper clothes for training and didn't feel want to go inside and change, instead he took a piece of red string from his sleeve and tied his hair into a tight ponytail. Feathery bangs remained hanging in front of his face and his long hair still falling down to his lower back even though it was pulled up. The tight feeling of his hair being pulled into the ponytail was just one other little thing that he found himself suddenly missing when he never gave it a second thought in the afterlife.

"Do you mind if I join?" Souji said, making his way over to a few swords lying on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Colt give his brothers a questioning glance that gave the impression of him saying: _Can_ he even fight? They agreed to let him join anyways, not too keen on getting on either of the older men's bad sides for refusing. Souji chuckled at their childish antics as he examined a particularly decent sword. Looks were often quite deceiving.

"Who wants to spar with me?" Souji had to ask, walking over and slipping the sword and sheath under his sash and tying it off. During their time in the Shinsengumi Souji constantly sparred with Tetsu and even though his better swordsmanship came out on top every time, the page never got tired with him, always eager for more. It seemed that these boys weren't as enthusiastic about it, although Souji thought it only fair to stop comparing the them with a boy who'd lived and died years ago.

Finally Colt volunteered, stepping forward with his sword while his brothers fell back to watch. They took their places in the middle of the yard when Souji said:

"I highly advise you to put on some armor."

Colt almost protested, but the sharp look in Souji's eyes held no room for argument. When the blonde-haired boy had donned a helmet and chest armor, Souji paused for a moment and tossed the sword aside. It was far too dangerous to fight with a real sword, no matter how dull it was. It took awhile to dig up a useable wooden one and even then it would still be hazardous to spar with.

"Don't you have any shinai? Bamboo practice swords? It's going to be very dangerous to use these bokken…" Souji pointed out, examining the smooth surface of the solid wood. It appeared harmless enough, that is, until it came in contact with the body. With enough force, it could draw blood. Colt shook his head, looking a little confused as he shifted into the center of the yard. Souji met him half-way there and they took up the starting stances, staring each other down.

Souji didn't know- he couldn't remember, the last time he felt like this, or had held a sword for that matter. He hadn't even died on the battle field in the line of duty, but curled up in his bed with that terrible illness sucking the very breath and life out of him. He'd died alone on a warm night in the spring, and as he took his final breath, he could have sworn that he saw his comrades sitting in the room around him, a welcoming presence. When he had woken up as a ghost they greeted him with warm words and gestures, although they all seemed a bit sad under all that joy. After all, he'd died when he was only twenty-five, which was young even by the standards of the time and occupations they had.

He had to physically shake his head to rid his mind of those thoughts. They made him feel depressed and emotion was a dangerous thing to show to one's opponent.

He tightened his grip on the wooden sword, its surface feeling right at home in his hands, and he couldn't believe that he'd lived so long without even thinking of one. Then again, off-duty Souji and the Shinsengumi Souji4 were completely different people.

Finally, a silent start was exchanged between the opponents as they slowly circled each other, examining the other's movements. Colt was the first to move, his sword above his head as he came dashing forward, bringing it down with a shout and a quick swipe. With graceful ease and one smooth motion, Souji dodged to the side and retaliated, swinging a single arm in an effortless arc. The jarring blow sent Colt flying off to the side and Souji was reminded of the first time he faced off against Tetsu when he'd used the same tactics. Both boys were reckless in their advances, leaving themselves open for a counterattack such as this.

"Colt!" Tum-Tum said in concern, running up to his older brother with Rocky following close behind. They helped Colt to his feet, a little more than surprised with the overwhelming strength Susumu's friend wielded in his frail-looking body. Tum-Tum turned to Souji after making sure his brother was alright, a look of awe plastered on his face. "You're strong! Colt, you've never been beat that badly! And not even by a girl, but a _really_ girly guy!"

"Thanks…" Souji murmured sarcastically, although he guessed that he should be used to it by now.

"Hey Colt, let's switch, I want to see just how strong this guy is," Rocky announced, taking up the sword that lay on the ground. Souji nodded and they took up their stances.

While Souji found the elder brother to be calmer and calculated, he knew that the boy would lose in the end. Souji had to give him credit for holding his own against a swordsman like himself though. Rocky analyzed him carefully in search of any weak points and ultimately that was what earned him a spot on the ground as well. Souji strode over to the fallen boy and held out a hand.

"You're good," Rocky said, taking the help to stand. "I couldn't find a weak point anywhere, not one."

"Well, I've been training a lot longer than you after all," Souji said with an encouraging smile. "But I do have to admit that you aren't so bad yourself. You need to focus on staying on guard and analyzing your opponent at the same time, though."

"Thanks," Rocky said, patting the wet dirt off his clothes.

"Say, how did you get so good?" Colt inquired. "You can't be that old, maybe thirty at the least."

"Oh," Souji giggled. "Not at all. I'm twenty five."

"_Twenty __**five**_?!" all three shouted in unison, eyes bugging out.

"Yup."

"That can't be! You're definitely you have to be! There's no way that you're so young and so good at fighting!" Colt argued. Really, he just couldn't see it! Souji shook his head, that crazy grin still plastered on his face.

"When did you start?" Rocky asked, his voice wielding no hints of malice or scorn, only pure curiosity. Souji's smile faltered for a brief moment; it had always been a sensitive subject to him. It wasn't as if he regretted taking up the sword at the age that he did, but he knew how it affected the one person he had done it for.

"I was nine," Souji said solemnly, becoming expressionless, but he frowned when he realized that the boys hadn't reacted in a violent or stunned manner. Slowly he asked, "When did _you_ start?"

"Only seriously a few years ago," Rocky shrugged. "Grandpa used to teach us when we were really little too, and we just got out ninja names two years ago."

Souji nodded, not quite sure how he was feeling after hearing that. Their grandfather Mori Tanaka seemed to be a nice, kind guy, but who was Souji Okita, captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi to judge? For sure the old man didn't teach his grandsons how to kill. Times and tradition were different. Souji barely had the time to use a wooden sword when he first learned.

"I picked up a sword when I was nine…" Souji said so quietly that Rocky had to strain his ears to hear him. "And I thought that _I_ was bad. But, perhaps I am…"

"What're you muttering about?" Tum-Tum piped up, munching on a bag of candy that had found its way into his hands. Susumu hadn't taken much notice of his sneaking into the kitchen after all, as preoccupied with his thoughts as he was.

"What?" Souji said dazedly, barely glancing at the boy. "No, no, you don't understand."

"You aren't making any sense here. Snap out of it!" Colt said, shaking one of Souji's shoulders. They hadn't known the young man for long but not once had they see him in such a state. It was a stark contrast to his usual, cheery self.

"Sorry," Souji half muttered, tossing his head back and forth, berating his self. He'd gotten too off track, let his mind wander too far. "As I was saying, I picked up a sword when I was nine. But, I wielded a _real_ sword. I was training to seriously hurt people, not the innocent spars you've been learning for so long."

"…Really? That's so cool!" Tum-Tum said, jumping up and down. "To be so strong at that age, I mean, grandpa never let us do anything like that when we were nine!"

"Um…" Souji hesitated briefly, fully aware that he had the boys' undivided attention, the perfect time to tell them what he came out here to say. "It's not at all too "cool" when I think back on it. At first I started out as a servant at a dojo, but I wanted to learn what everyone else was around me, naturally. But I didn't say anything for a long time because I was…obedient, I guess. I was raised to do what I was told with minimal complaint.

"One day, an acquaintance of the dojo's master stopped by. He stayed for awhile, and I bumped into him on a few occasions. I saw him practicing one day and was awed by his skill. He spotted me and I asked him to teach me, but he just scoffed and ruffled my head. That was a no," Souji chuckled, a smile coming back to him at the memory. He'd been completely innocent back then. "He came and went often, sometimes I asked for lessons, sometimes I just stayed by him. He wasn't the nicest and most sociable of guys, and I suppose that I really didn't mind back then.

"I must have gotten through to him, because at last he agreed to teach me a little. He said that he'd seen my potential before, and he knew that I came from a prestigious family, so that probably influenced his decision. The dojo master's son found out about the lesson and was furious, but I didn't care, I was just overjoyed that the man finally taught me. I think inside, I really just wanted someone to be proud of me. I lived with my older sister and her husband, so they didn't really have time for me.

"A week later, that man gave me a sword. I was…a prodigy of sorts, and learned very fast. Everything else is," at this, Souji shrugged, "history."

"That's quite a story," Rocky said. "So why were you so spooked?"

"You still don't get it?" Souji asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Get what?"

"It's not right for a nine year old child to pick up a real sword to kill. I became one of the best later on, at _killing_. And although the man who taught me is one of my most trusted friends, he still regrets teaching me the art of the sword. I don't know where I stand on that subject, but he thinks that he created a demon."

The three kids didn't answer at once, mulling it over in their heads. Souji tried again.

"What I'm trying to tell you…think about what a ninja is. Think about what _you_ think a ninja is. Think about how old I was when I started to train to kill. Think about how you would feel killing someone. Then tell me if you truly want to be a ninja, but don't give me your answer now. After a few more lessons with Susumu, tell me."

"What-" Colt started.

But Souji was already gone.

* * *

1 Shinai- Bamboo practice swords made to represent a Japanese sword. They are made of slats of dried bamboo tied together tightly with leather and secured with a string. They are used so that those practicing with them are not harmed.

2 Bokken- Substitute for a real sword, reduces damage in practice. It is made of one single wooden piece shaped like a sword.

3 I have no sword experience, so if anyone knows about this, I'd gladly listen…

4 According to _Peacemaker Kurogane_ and historical facts, Souji often played with children on his time off-duty. In Peacemaker, his personalities while on duty and off were drastically different. One, a kind, sunny young man, the other a demon.

5 Shinsengumi- Okita was the first captain of the first unit of the Shinesngumi police force, feared for their ruthless tactics. By saying this, Okita means that while Mori seems to be a nice guy, Okita himself was kind and cheerful our of the field and a "demon" on duty.

6 Souji's father was a samurai, I believe, so his "teacher" had seen his natural talent for the sword and knew that his father was a samurai, which counted back then.

7 This little story is taken from some other stories I have read (to whom I give credit to), real facts, and _Peacemaker's_ story. Not all of it is true, such as Okita actually being a student before the man arrived, but I like it this way better. His older sister and her husband were real people.

Third chapter, next is Colt. Again, I'll gladly answer any questions/comments/concerns.

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own _Three Ninja's_ and its characters nor do I own _Peacemaker Kurogane_ and its characters and interpretations of its characters (although that would be sweet). The historical figures own themselves.

**Update 5/15/09**: I removed the footnote numbers within the story.


	4. Chapter 4: Colt

* * *

At some point during the night, Colt had the faint thought that Susumu was insane or a murderer or…something. He had a feeling that he wasn't just the acquaintance of Grandpa's who so happened to be visiting in the States, who happened to be trained as a ninja. Susumu knew too much, acted too jaded to be such, yet the tired numbness from that day's training quickly sapped the energy from Colt's body, sending him into sleep, and with it, eradicating all thoughts he'd pondered upon that night. In the morning, he'd forgotten all about it.

* * *

Sparkling sunlight filtering through the window curtains shone on Colt's face, but that wasn't enough to make him do much more than stir. Accustomed to Grandpa's unusual ways of being a human alarm clock, he and his brothers' trained ears were able to catch a faint, metallic _chink_ at the foot of the bed. Colt jolted awake, the routine of it taking away any anger that he might have had. Bleary eyes were met by a silvery surface only mere inches from his nose. Besides him, Rocky jolted into a kneeling position, but Tum-Tum remained asleep. After hitting the realization that the silvery _something_ was a _sword_, Colt couldn't help but think humorously, _Thanks, Tum, leave your brother to die by sword point, why don't you?_

"Okita?!" Rocky exclaimed. Both brothers' eyes were wide, staring in disbelief at the older man. He held a sword, the one pointed at Colt, lazily in one hand, his posture relaxed and his face smiling and cheerful. His dark eyes shone softly in the light, friendly and free of malevolence. Still, he did not relent in taking the sword from Colt's face. The middle brother didn't move a muscle, but he refused to admit it was out of _fear_.

"Good morning!" Souji chirped. "And for the record, you fail."

"Fail? Fail what?" Colt demanded keeping as still as possible.

"The test, of course! Tanaka-san said something about that when we arrived…" Souji said, lowering his sword and sheathing it altogether. He shrugged and made his way across the tiny attic-like bedroom towards the stairs, stepping over limbs and blanket along the way. "Hurry up, Susumu's waiting."

"Alright…" Rocky said as Souji left the room. That must have been the most dangerous morning wake up test they'd ever had, they figured. Colt and Rocky both then turned to Tum-Tum and the two brothers spent the next five minutes attempting to wake him. After a few failed tries, Susumu ended up dragging them downstairs, muttering some Japanese nonsense. Breakfast was quick, afterwards the three brothers rushed to change, half dreading whatever obstacles Susumu definitely set up for them today.

Colt was just finishing pulling a shirt on as he followed Tum-Tum down the stairs. He expected to find Susumu already outside, where he would scold them for being late and launch into another of his lectures on the proper way to be a ninja. Colt didn't really see the point in the technical "rules" that weren't set in stone at all. Grandpa's way was simpler, more fun, and less grueling. Susumu acted like it were a business, although judging by how he acted, maybe it was.

Also judging by the past behavior of their temporary teacher, Colt didn't expect Susumu to be sitting on the couch waiting for them, not yet exasperated for their tardiness. Although, he did figure that with these two, surprises were more common than he first believed. Colt had to blink a few times to make sure that what he was seeing was indeed, real.

"Uh…" That was Tum-Tum echoing the same thing Colt felt in fewer words.

"Right…we're not training today. I forgot to tell you, so you can change back into your regular clothes now," Susumu said, not looking very apologetic. Colt _was_ going to spit back some witty comment about forgetfulness, but Rocky had to ruin his fun and drag him off to the bedroom again before he could do so.

"You know the nerve of that guy…!" Colt complained, although he didn't speak above a whisper, as they'd learned that Susumu (and Souji, to some extent), had exceptional hearing and were prone to eavesdrop, even though they denied that fact. They normally said that they just "happened to overhear".

"People forget," Rocky shrugged. "Be glad there's no training today."

"Yeah, the one thing we can be thankful for," Tum-Tum said, sarcasm apparent in his voice.

"Let's try to have fun."

Colt figured that was just his brothers' way of _trying _to be optimistic, however, when they found themselves on the couch downstairs, the future was looking very thin. Especially since Susumu had told them to get comfortable. He and Souji had taken a seat at the dining table, steaming cups of tea resting on the wooden surface.

_Joy, another speech, _Colt thought. He'd lost count of how many short ones Susumu gave them, and he was _not_ looking forward to this long one.

"Well, where to start…?" Susumu mused, "I suppose, where we've already went."

Colt was seriously beginning to think that their temporary mentor was insane or something. They never left Grandpa's place the whole time, so he didn't get where they could have already gone.

"Alright. Remember what I told you about the weather?" Susumu said, although he looked bored and his voice had suddenly turned dull.

"Yeah, fighting on wet rooftops and stuff, right?" Tum-Tum said, and Rocky added:

"It's not always going to be pleasant, so we have to learn to get used to it."

Susumu stared at Colt, as if expecting him to add on to his brother's already perfect sentence. Colt huffed, and Susumu stared a moment longer before turning away.

"Right." He paused again; Colt was beginning to think that Susumu could never be a teacher; the students would probably run in fear at the first sight of him. He couldn't resist a chuckle at the thought and, by now, he should have expected what was coming next. "Is something _funny_?"

"No." Susumu only sounded a little more pissed than usual, and Colt's bland answer probably wasn't helping that along.

"Well, a thing about ninja is that we _adapt _to our environment. What's that saying…?" Susumu stopped to think, again, and Colt had a feeling he wasn't alone in his previous thoughts.

"You forgot it already? After you spend the whole night looking for it?" Souji quipped, a strange, sly, yet innocent-looking smile on his face. His head was tilted to the side, both pale hands wrapped around the teacup.

"Shut up, English is weird," Susumu muttered sharply in the smallest tone that only Souji could identify as humor.

"It's not _that _hard…By the way, I do believe it has something to do with a place called "Rome"." Susumu glared at Souji like he had done something horrid- like kill someone, and suddenly Colt's crazy imagination that had never really been there before was thinking that it wasn't such a far-fetched idea after all.

"You mean, when in Rome, do as the Roman's do?" Rocky said, calm and collective as always. Colt was repeatedly tapping his foot against the ground, impatient and moody so early in the day. He didn't see how his older brother could do it. He could see Tum-Tum, though, since he was occupied with a bag of candies.

"Yeah, that one," Susumu said with an absent nod. "So today's lesson is going to be about going undercover." At that last word, Colt felt a shiver go up his spine, because he could sense the absolute malevolence in Susumu's tone of voice.

"First, there is stealth. Now, I've seen you three, and _sometimes_ you have as much stealth as a samurai. That, in fact, is barely anything. They march into battle, flags and all. Ninja don't do that. In fact, it might just get you _killed_. Not to scare you or anything, of course." Susumu did _not_ sound apologetic or anything at that. "Well, half the times, you three do okay, for kids, so work on that on your own time. Not mine. Another thing about stealth and undercover is the _undercover_ part.

"Let me tell you now, outfits are everything. And in reality, the ones you wear now are screaming for you to be killed." _Well, _Colt thought, _that was blunt_. "First, you _do not_ wear black in the dead of summer; you'll probably collapse of heat stroke because of the color's properties to attract heat. Also, you stick out like…"

"A sore thumb," Colt said, head in his hands, his voice a bored monotone. Susumu glared at him but continued.

"Yeah, a soar…whatever. Don't wear black unless it's dark out, idiot. That's called _stealth_. Wear whatever fits your surroundings. If you have to dress as a samurai, a peasant, a lord, a girl, _whatever_, you do it, because it will get the job done. Now, I just want to test your stealth today, and particularly because Souji's been _annoying _me about it, you will-"

"Wait. Wait a minute," Colt said, cutting Susumu off, earning himself another glare that he didn't care to look at. He really must have misunderstood, but… "You said…a samurai, a peasant, a lord, and a _girl_?"

"Yeah, I said that; don't repeat what I've said. What of it?" Behind Susumu, Colt could see Souji stifling what seemed like a giggle, although he made no sound, just the motion. Rocky and Tum-Tum had made the connection as well, and all three brothers stared at him with identical incredulous expressions.

"A _girl_." Colt repeated. Tum-Tum was trying not to laugh. "You don't find anything…_wrong_ with that?"

"Didn't I tell you? Get the job done, no matter what, that's what a ninja does." Well, it didn't seem to bother Susumu that much, for some reason. It really made Colt question this guy even more.

Souji was laughing by now and Susumu swung around to glare at him.

"You can't say anything," he stated, and even though Colt didn't seem to get it, Rocky looked like he did. Colt shot him a questioning look, but he just shrugged.

"Says you, who's prettier than his own sister." At that point, Souji didn't do much to hide his laughter, and he seemed to be having a hard time breathing. Susumu was just looking pissed.

"You have a sister?" Colt said in a sort of dubious voice; he couldn't see _Susumu_of all people, having a sister or having any good, social relationships at all. That "prettier" comment was also a little questionable. Susumu didn't look like a girl at all, not like Souji.

"Kind of."

"_Kind of?_ You…kind of have a sister?"

"Whatever, back on track…" Susumu shook his head. "It's probably going to be fun for you, hell for me. We're spending the day trying to imitate different people so your undercover work actually _works_. That includes personality, manners, clothes, and so on."

"_Dress up?_" This time, the feeling of disbelief was mutual.

Susumu and Souji were officially crazy.

Colt had come to that decision with Tum-Tum and Rocky by the time they were fitted in their first costume, gross-looking rags of clothes that were clean; they just didn't want to get the house filthy, otherwise, as their temporary teacher pointed out, they should have been the real thing. Colt shivered at that.

The whole ordeal had taken awhile and Souji was too enthusiastic about it, Susumu looking too smug. So that first hour was spent learning how to blend in with the streets and trash cans, while discreetly gathering information from random, yet not-so-random sources. The brothers and Tum-Tum especially, hadn't been happier to be in normal clothes after that.

After some off-hand comment about modern times and work and the like, Colt was definitely not liking how Susumu looked.

"Well, since there's no real _undercover_ work you can do at this age in this time period, you'll just have to settle for two ideas."

"_Thank goodness_," Tum-Tum muttered under his breath.

"_But_, I think you can imagine what's next."

"Do we _have _to?"

"Stop whining, you have it really easy, you know. Don't have to work or anything. Now, let get started."

Colt watched with a wary eye as Souji replaced the ragged clothes with nicer, cleaner ones. He had that infuriating smile on his face, empty of malice. The humor in his expression was worst than malice, though.

Colt endured Souji pulling him into his costume, a Japanese styled dress that he remembered seeing Miyo in. Actually, now that he thought about it, Souji and Susumu wore those outfits, too. Well, Susumu wore a ninja outfit sometimes. Still, they wore _dresses_ and it didn't seem to bother them _at all_.

"Stay still," Souji said, yanking at the sash that tied the dress together. Colt let out a huffy sigh. He couldn't breath as it was and the swordsman-that-didn't-act-like-a-swordsman just _had_ to make it tighter.

"Well, now you know about going undercover _somewhat_, although I still think you three are horrible at it. You can change out of those clothes now."

Colt swore sometime during the lesson that he was going to _murder _their teacher. Rocky had taken it as calm as always, although even he was a little embarrassed and a little fed up, but he tried not to show it. Tum-Tum whined the whole time and Colt himself refused to listen to Susumu and didn't stop resisting everything and getting, overall, angry. He, much to his own embarrassment, had almost had a fit by the time they were practicing manners, at which point all hell broke loose. Susumu mentioned something about fun, and Colt really, really thought that it was fun for his teacher and hell for he and his brothers.

"Finally!" Colt almost (quote, _almost_), tore the clothes off, before thinking and realizing that Susumu would probably be pissed. He wouldn't put it past the man to find some cruel or unusual method as punishment.

* * *

It was dinner finally. As in the previous nights, dinner was some weird concoction. This time, it was a bowl of rice with chicken on top, which wasn't too bad, but it still tasted weird and completely different from what he was used to chicken tasting like.

"This isn't poison, is it?" he asked Souji.

"Of course not!" the man laughed. It sounded so much like a giggle that Colt found himself slightly disturbed. He should have gotten used to it in all truth, by now.

Okay, so dinner wasn't that bad, he had to admit, although Susumu hadn't appeared at all, which was actually more of a blessing. Things always tended to become awkward and silent around that guy.

"I don't want to _ever_ do that again," Colt groaned after dinner had been cleaned up. He collapsed on the couch, Tum-Tum squished between him and rocky, jabbering away about some show he had watched a few nights ago.

"Me either." Rocky nodded, and Tum-Tum paused to agree.

"-_And then_, the monster," Tum-Tum started, only to be cut off by Souji entering the room from the hall. The man stood in front of them, smiling as always, so they really couldn't tell what he was up to, which, Colt decided instantly, was dangerous.

"Good evening," he chirped.

"We're doomed," Tum-Tum whispered not so discreetly, drawing extra emphasis on the last word.

"We're more than doomed," Colt said, gulping. Nervousness tingled in his gut, although he shouldn't be so nervous, he knew, logically. Rocky, ever the peacemaker, said:

"Good evening." He sounded anxious, too, though.

"Since you three have been so good today, and tolerated Yamazaki-kun and his lessons, I've decided to reward you!"

"Why do I have a feeling that we don't want this reward…?"

"Oh, trust me, you'll like it! Susumu wasn't too happy about it, but that's okay."

"An unhappy Mr. Yamazaki is a scary Mr. Yamazaki…" said Tum-Tum.

"Yamazaki-kun! Come out, it's the least you can do for putting these poor boys through that," Souji said, happy and calling over his shoulder towards the hall. There was a faint shuffling of feet, and then Colt nearly had a heart attack.

"_M-Mr. Yamazaki?!_" all three boys said in unison, shooting up from their seats in an instant. Souji was looking a little smug, and still a little innocent.

As much as Colt hated to admit it, Susumu did make a pretty girl, even if he had a scowl on his face.

They could hardly recognize him, decked out in a dull, reddish-_pink_dress decorated with a dark golden flower pattern, hair all done-up with a decorated hairpin holding his hair in a sort of bun. His face somehow looked like a woman's, his eyes were somewhat softer (for he was still angry or annoyed, and no makeup could hide that), and somehow, he seemed a lot more delicate, more so than Souji on a normal day. Also, he wasn't even blushing from embarrassment; he just looked annoyed as always.

"It's a _wig_," Susumu said out of the blue, walking over to a chair at the dining room table, Souji trailing behind and heading past him into the kitchen to make some tea. He even sounded different, just a little of his real voice still showed.

"Wig or not…!" Susumu glared, and Colt instantly shut up.

"So, does your sister look like that?" Rocky asked. Susumu paused, hand to his face; he looked so strange like that, Colt thought.

"…Yes, she did. I…She told me…I disguise myself as her, for my job as a ninja." Susumu was hesitating, and Colt found it weird, abnormal, and downright s_cary_. Souji had come back by now, and he passed out steaming hot teacups. He wasn't smiling as he sat down next to Susumu. Even with the hot ceramic cup in Colt's hand, the steam hitting his face, the air around him felt thin and cool, like a light mist had settled down in the house. A silence settled deep in the room and even when someone spoke, it refused to leave.

"Is she, I mean?" Rocky stumbled over his words.

"Dead?" Susumu gave a weak chuckle. "She gave her life for me, you know. Well, you probably wouldn't understand. You're too young."

"Oh, I'm…sorry." Rocky said.

"Don't be, you weren't there." Susumu fingered the teacup in his hands. "Have you thought about what Souji told you yesterday?"

"Uh-yeah…" Colt said, which was a flat-out lie. All Susumu said was:

"Tomorrow, tell me tomorrow."

"Alright." Rocky stood up, and Colt and Tum-Tum followed.

They left the two men to their thoughts that were trapped in a time that the boys were not allowed to touch.

Colt thought again that night about their mysterious teacher and his friend. He had the feeling, downstairs, that he could never feel what they felt, never know exactly what they were talking about in a million years. That jaded look in their eyes that sometimes overcame them, it was so disturbing. No, Colt could figure out at least, that he never wished to be like that, to be forever haunted by the past with no hopes of escaping.

* * *

1 Japanese nonsense- Probably something along the lines of "Lazy brats…" or at least, that's my opinion. Susumu wasn't really living up to a ninja's patience there, was he?

2 English is weird- Well, they probably had some time to learn English, but it probably is weird. It's weird to me sometimes and it's my first language. Also, Susumu doesn't really get slang and idioms.

3 A girl- Susumu covered the explanation, but he did do this in the anime. Tetsu thought Ayumu was Susumu when he saw her all dressed up, and he compared the two siblings, and said that they looked alike. Ayumu commented "Are you saying I look no better than he does?".

4 Kind of- This is actually a line that Ayumu, Susumu's sister said in episode two when the main character, Tetsu, asked her if she had a brother, since she had commented that "Brothers really should be like this", referring to the way Tetsu acted. This is also in reference to her own brother, since their relationship wasn't that of actual siblings.

5 The food- This is supposed to be a dish called _donburi_, which can have many different toppings.

Colt was hard to write- and the whole dress thing...well, I had to do it. It's just too good an opportunity to pass up.

There's just two more chapters and, in addition to Grandpa as the last point of view, there's two surprise characters visiting, although they are pretty easy to guess.

Next is Tum-Tum.

**Edit 9/05/09:** Fixed some lost spaces between italics.


	5. Chapter 5: TumTum

There's a lot of spots where Susumu falls back into Japanese, and those are in italics. He's just stressed or angry, so he doesn't bother translating. Thanks to Lighter for that idea! Oh yeah, there's the absolute smallest hint of slash or male/male relationship in here. Like, extremely small. Microscopic, atom-level small.

...I'm done. To the story.

* * *

The following day went back to normal or as normal as things seemed to get around Grandpa's house with Susumu and Souji around. The ground dried off during the night and was firm once more. Susumu drilled Tum-Tum and his brothers from dawn to noon, without a word of communication. He seemed to be in less of a mood to talk than ever, if that was even possible. Despite the fact that Colt complained at every chance he got, Susumu didn't scold him. Tum-Tum wondered if it was because of last night. Rocky thought so when he asked that morning. When noon rolled around all three brothers was exhausted. They ate, too hungry to care about words now. Tum-Tum suspected that Colt was the only one growing sick of rice.

Susumu was at the table for once, eating in equal silence as the rest of the occupants of the room, pondering something so greatly that he didn't even notice when Tum-Tum spilled his drink all over the table. Tum-Tum expected some sort of reprimand and cleaned it up as fast as he could, but nothing came from Susumu. Souji quietly reminded him to be careful, and that was that. It seemed as if everyone wanted to ask what was wrong, but neither of the two older men looked as if they wanted to talk. They looked as if they weren't going to answer even if they did ask.

"What is your decision?" Souji finally said. Tum-Tum hadn't thought at all that much about it; he didn't see the point to caring that much about a hobby.

"You still don't have one? Indecisive…" Susumu muttered, and he stood to leave. "Being a ninja isn't for show."

There was something about those words that made Tum-Tum feel queasy.

The rest of the day, up until dinner was identical to the morning. Tum-Tum barely felt like eating he was so tired by the end of the day. He shoved his dinner down his throat and didn't get to taste much of it, and then he took the fastest shower he'd ever taken, and collapsed on the couch with a groan. Rocky was sitting next to Tum-Tum, just as tired, but acting a little better about the ordeal. Colt had gone upstairs and passed out in bed, saying that he didn't want to hear all of the weird stuff Susumu might say that night. Indeed, Susumu had things to say. He was annoyed that Colt had gone to bed but he didn't go to retrieve him.

"Listen, tell your brother this later," Susumu started with all seriousness. "…I can't drill into you all of what you'll need in life. What decision you make now can affect your life. Or maybe it won't. Only if you have eyes and ears to listen will you really learn from all this. Don't pretend to be something you are not, if you wish to be a ninja, then be one to your fullest! Don't do a half-assed job!" At that moment, Tum-Tum caught something in Susumu's voice, but he wasn't sure that he really heard it. "Be the best, strive for it at least. Then, when you have done all that you can, then you may stop. Don't try being a ninja because you think it brings honor. That's what samurai are for. Don't mistake them."

"Yamazaki-kun…" Souji said, a light frown on his face. Tum-Tum could tell that he knew what was running through Susumu's head, which was obvious. He straightened out from his position lying on the couch, his interest caught by Susumu's speech.

"And ninja…ninja don't show emotion. Someone told me "If your heart actually feels pain, you should stop being a ninja." I don't know if that's the ultimate truth or not, but reasonably, it's correct. Sorrow may strengthen you in battle, but it may also make you stupid and blind. Emotions can get you killed.

"Do you know what my sister told me?" Susumu's voice was off; way off from what Tum-Tum was used to hearing. He thought, maybe it was sadness, and he also thought that it was a good thing Colt wasn't here. He would have some witty comment about how their teacher is a hypocrite. "She told me "Don't think of me as your sister. I don't think of you as my brother." So choose now. What path will you take?"

"Why do we have to decide now?" Rocky said. "We're not that old."

"…Do you remember?" Souji said quietly with a solemn face. "I was nine. "We're not that old?" you say." He was silent and nothing else needed to be said.

Tum-Tum truly hadn't thought about it. He liked being a ninja because it was fun. He got to play the hero, got to help people. Rocky was thinking hard about this, he could tell. He watched as his older brother rose and mentioned that he was going to tell Colt about the conversation. That left Tum-Tum alone with those two. Susumu stared at him, and Souji was moving to another side of the room where his and Susumu's belongings were, digging around for something.

"Does it really matter?" Tum-Tum muttered. He only said it with half the zeal he normally would have though. "I mean, it's fun."

"The next time, will you get away with your life?" Susumu said with his eyes narrowed. "The next person you fight, will they have a gun? Will their aim stay true? One can only rely on luck so much."

"That won't happen. We're careful," Colt called from the stairs. Tum-Tum would have voiced his agreement, if not for the fact that Susumu was looking pissed off to the extreme.

"Don't assume things!" he said sharply. "_To assume things gets you killed. If it does not kill you, it will kill someone else. Someone dear to you, someone you hate, some random person. Someone ends up dead!_"

"Uh…_what_?" Tum-Tum said, drawing out the last word. Yeah, he didn't imagine it; he couldn't understand a thing that guy said.

"Oh, oh, Yamazaki-kun's just angry, he is not very good at speaking English when he is stressed, I'm afraid," Souji said in a strained voice.

"_Do **not** say a thing_," Susumu spat.

"He basically told you to shut up before you say anything." Souji was laughing and Tum-Tum figured that it was all a game to that guy or something. He was probably just holding back his laughter before.

"_Okita-san!_" Obviously something was lost in the translation. Susumu was still speaking Japanese, Tum-Tum could tell, by his tone of voice, which was more natural and fluid; he spoke quicker as well.

"Why you…!" Colt started down the stairs only to be yanked back by the arm by Rocky.

"What did he say before?"

"Oh, something like "Assuming gets you killed. If it doesn't kill you, it will kill someone else. Someone who is important to you, someone you don't like, someone you don't know. Someone dies." Something like that."

"No one's dying! No one is ever going to die!" Colt said. Tum-Tum could hear him becoming upset, not just the regular Colt anger. Somehow, Susumu became even more furious, if that was possible.

"_Ignorant brat! You think you are immortal. She was ten times better than you, no a hundred times better and she still died. I killed her. I messed up. You will mess up one day too and who will pay? You? Maybe not. Maybe it will be your brothers or parents instead. You do not know._"

"Um…" Souji said, mulling it over in his head. "He said "A brat who does not know anything. You believe you are immortal. I messed up too. One day you will mess up and who will pay? You? Maybe your siblings or parents. You don't know." Yamazaki-kun, calm down because I cannot translate that fast."

"_Face the world. Listen to reality._" With that last phrase, Susumu rose from his seat and went outside, disappearing into the woods in the distance.

"…"Face the world, listen to reality," he said…" Souji translated, the something he had retrieved from his suitcase held in a delicate, lose grip as he walked towards the couches.

"Why does he say that?" Colt said, anger still growling deep in his throat. He and Rocky had taken their seats by now, next to Tum-Tum.

"…Yamazaki-kun has not led an easy life. None of us have." Tum-Tum wondered who else Souji could be talking about. "He just wants you to pick the right choices, do the right thing. You are lucky, Yamazaki-kun is known for being cold and not talkative at all[3]."

"What does it matter?" Colt mumbled. "Why does he care?"

"…He…doesn't want you to be a ninja if it means throwing away what's precious to you," Souji said, hesitating, looking for the words. He fingered the object in his hands gently.

"I think I get it," Rocky said slowly. Tum-Tum shook his head; that was way too confusing. "By the way…who made that?"

"Oh, this?" Souji said absently, uncovering the object, a small paper bird with patterns on the surface. "Someone made it…"

"Someone?" Tum-Tum echoed. "That tells a lot."

"Someone dear to me," Souji said, shaking his head for some reason. "If I remember, they had a lot of trouble making it. Took them a whole day to get it right."

"Was it your girlfriend?" asked Rocky.

"No," Souji said, giggling at the funny prospect. "It's not important though. You three do have to make a decision. By tomorrow. Yamazaki-kun will wait no longer."

Tum-Tum was feeling tired; the day was catching up to him. He yawned twice in a row as they headed up the stairs, once again leaving Souji and his strange, quiet, cheerful ways behind. He didn't know, nor did he care that much, where Susumu has gone. If he knew the man, although he really _didn't_ know him too well, he would be back in the morning, hounding them and making their training hell.

"Is it really that hard? That…bad?" Tum-Tum said as they lights flickered off. His brothers shuffled around him, but gave no answer.

"I don't know. I really don't know," Rocky said. That scared Tum-Tum a little, since Rocky never lost his cool, never admitted that he didn't know anything. If Rocky didn't know, then who did? Surely not Colt, and not Tum-Tum. Colt hadn't said a word for awhile now, and he turned restlessly on his side, so Tum-Tum knew that it affected him as well.

"They're so strange," Colt suddenly spoke as Tum-Tum was falling asleep two minutes later. "They're just so strange."

"…Not really, if you think about it. They're…like soldiers, back from the war, spooked by their ghosts," Rocky said. His hands were behind his head, and he stared at the ceiling. "You know, like in the movies."

"In case you haven't noticed, Okita's twenty five. He doesn't look like a military person anyways," Tum-Tum pointed out; he saw Rocky shrug. "What are you going to choose?"

"I'm staying a ninja, no matter what that guy says," Colt said instantly. Tum-Tum was already feeling torn.

"Maybe, maybe I won't," Rocky muttered. "Maybe."

"I don't know. I don't want to choose," Tum-Tum said.

He fell asleep that night with thoughts tormenting him; thoughts of deaths that he couldn't comprehend, thoughts of their mysterious visitors, thoughts of Susumu's past, his sister, and thoughts of Souji's precious person. He felt that torn space between him and his brothers quietly brewing. It was almost suffocating and he hated it.

The next day held new adventures. For once, Tum-Tum was not looking forward to it.

* * *

Footnotes:

[1] I didn't want to translate it into Japanese since that would be too confusing, so just bear with me from hearing it twice.

[2] As to why Souji does not translate this correctly…he (and I) have our ways…Of which you shall never know...Well, you can figure it out if you like.

[3] Some real source, plus the peacemaker manga says that he is like that. In the words "taciturn and cold". Which pretty much explains him in a nutshell.

Next few chapters are actually in a different format with footnotes since fanfiction is crapping out on me. So um...it's not much of a big deal, right?

Love the reviews, they make my day!


	6. Chapter 6: Mori

* * *

Oh, remember the tiny hint of slash last chapter, the one on the molecular level? Yeah, it's bigger now. You can see it now. It's the size of a piece of dust in the light.

* * *

Mori felt almost sorry for his grandsons. He almost didn't want to leave them alone with their two visitors, but they convinced him otherwise. It was that one man, he thought, the cheerful one who persuaded him into leaving and paying a visit to Japan. Before he could ponder on the decision, somehow he was already half way to the airport. It wasn't as if he had a horrible time in Japan either, but he still worried.

Mori wasn't an idiot; he knew the truth, however much the two men thought that he didn't. There was more to those two men that the mere surface. In the brief time that he talked to them, he saw it all. He saw the haunted expression in the solemn one's eyes, hidden beneath layers of masks. Even worse were the other man's eyes, where so many emotions hid under masks of happiness and cheer. He knew that they had done things in their life, horrible things, and he knew that they had seen things that no man should ever see. He knew they were seasoned warriors.

What he didn't know was what could warrant them paying a visit to the living.

The little house tucked into the woods inched into sight from the cab window, seeming to be no different from when he left. Deceiving as it was, Mori knew that a lot had changed, for the better or the worse. The taxi stopped at the bridge and Mori handed over his pay, carrying his luggage into the house. It was morning and all was silent. Perhaps the boys were still in bed. One of the men was sitting at the table, the solemn one named Susumu.

"I hope they haven't given you much trouble," Mori said, pulling over a chair. As he sat, a few bones creaked from the exertion. Ah, the joys of being young, he thought.

"Eh," Susumu muttered, shrugging. "They are very…sheltered."

"I suppose you could say that," Mori offered. While he did think that they were a little sheltered, he didn't really want to admit it to this perfect stranger. A little voice in his head was yelling at him for leaving his grandsons with these two "perfect strangers". He mentally groaned. If Jessica ever heard about this he would never heard the end.

"They don't know danger when it bites them on the ass," Susumu said bluntly. Mori didn't find a need to comment.

"Alright! We're getting up!" The shouts from upstairs turned Mori's attention from the solemn man to his grandsons running down the stairs in their usual banter. Following them was the cheerful person named Souji. He was laughing, holding a bowl dripping water in one hand, a sharpened, deadly sword in the other.

"Grandpa!" Tum-Tum noticed first, running over and barreling into Mori. He chuckled as his other two grandsons came approached. "We missed you!"

"I've missed you too," Mori said, hugging all three of them at once. "Have you learned anything?"

"Yeah, lots of stuff!" Tum-Tum exclaimed.

"Pretty boring stuff though," Colt commented, casting a glare at Susumu. The man didn't seem to notice.

"How was Japan?" said Rocky.

"It was fine, got to see family again."

The next hour or so was spent swapping summer stories between Mori and his grandsons. He was shocked to say the least at Susumu and Souji's actions, but his boys seemed a little wiser because of it, which was good. He couldn't say that he approved most of the teaching methods though. They relaxed all that day, taking it easy and talking mostly. By night, they even had Souji added to the conversation. All he really did was comment here and there though; he mostly smiled and laughed. Susumu had come and gone throughout the day, but never said anything.

When night had fallen and the crescent moon rose into a clear, unpolluted sky, the stars twinkling, Susumu made a sudden movement from his seat. This drew everyone's attention to the man as he headed for the door. Mori narrowed his eyes; something was off. His grandsons didn't seem to notice the profound difference in the man. Susumu's hand descended upon the handle and slowly opened the door.

"…What are you doing here?" he asked in a hollow voice full of disbelief. Mori rose from the couch in a slow motion with no help from his age. Moving towards the door, he saw a figure through the darkness.

"Is that any way to speak to your sister?" said the person outside as they emerged into the light of the house. It was a woman dressed in a dark blue Japanese kimono with pale skin and dark hair tied into a loose and messy ponytail. She was smiling in a kind manner.

"Ayumu-san…" Souji said.

"Is that your sister?!" the boys said incredulously. Mori had heard from their stories over the past few hours, of Susumu's sister.

"Ayumu-san is Yamazaki-kun's sister," Souji confirmed after a long silence in which Susumu was definitely not answering any questions.

"My apologies for intruding," she said, still smiling as she entered, walking up to a still-stunned Susumu. Mori could tell that this woman was more than she seemed as well. Through the English words she spoke, though, he could hear a Japanese accent. In fact, all three of the visitors had accents. "My, my, Susumu, you're so skinny, you should eat more."

"_Big sister…"_

"You don't take care of yourself when there's no one to pester you about it…" She frowned, but still managed to look pretty as she stopped in front of her brother. "He hasn't been too much of a pain, has he, Okita-kun?"

"No, no, not at all," Souji said, shaking his head and smiling again.

"_Why are you here? Why, just after…just after…_" Susumu said in a low voice. Mori understood the words and saw his grandsons clueless next to him. Souji was the one who turned to the old man and shook his head very lightly, almost to the point that Mori might have imagined it.

"Oh, Susumu…That was a long time ago," Ayumu said, shaking her head in slow, sad sweeps. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her chin on one of his shoulders. It startled Susumu and he seemed quite uncomfortable in her embrace.

"She looks just like him!" Colt whispered. Everyone in the room could probably hear him, though. "Or, he looks like her. Whatever."

"Colt!" Mori scolded. His grandson shrugged, but didn't talk again.

"I don't need help," Susumu said, shaking off his sister's arms.

"If you truly do not need help them why are you not done teaching these boys yet?" Ayumu said.

"They're stubborn brats. Only death will cure an idiot. They need a wakeup call, nothing else."

"Why you…!" Colt said, leaping from his seat.

"See? Impulsive fool," Susumu said smugly. "I'm waiting for you to prove me wrong."

"Now." Mori started only to be interrupted by Ayumu.

"They're just kids," she said in sadness. "Kids who don't know the consequences of their actions. Show them. Show them, Susumu, show them what happens when you make a mistake. Stop telling them."

"How do I do that? Kill them?" Susumu said sarcastically. "It's not that easy these days."

"You will find a way," Ayumu said, turning back towards the door. "I am sure that you will not fail."

Mori made for the door as well, but Susumu shut it behind the woman. He faced Mori's grandsons on the couch, a cold look in his eyes. Mori watched carefully, warily.

"There's nothing else I can tell you. Experience it for yourselves before it's too late. Okita-san and I will be leaving soon. Tomorrow, probably." Susumu left the room, into the back of the house, Souji following him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Grandpa?" Tum-Tum asked.

"There are things you must find out for yourselves," Mori said in a solemn tone. "I'm sorry."

Mori woke the next morning refreshed but in a gloomy mood. The jet lag was wearing down on him the night before, but it was last night's conversation that made him glum. Susumu and Souji were leaving that day at noon. They were leaving more questions than answers.

Mori emerged from his bedroom and prepared for the day. He didn't bother to wake his grandsons; he wished to talk to the two men first. They were sitting at the table, the stuff they'd brought at their sides, drinking some freshly brewed tea. Mori poured himself a cup and sat down across from them.

"Who are you, really?" he asked.

"Indeed, who we are…" Souji said in a soft voice, his hands fiddling with the dark, earthy-colored paper crane. "Who we were…"

Mori furrowed his eyebrows. Not a second later Susumu rose from his seat, smirking.

"Did you think that you can beat me yet?" he said, facing the stairs where three heads came into sight.

"We've been thinking…and…I think we'll try. We'll try to be careful, we'll do our best. We'll think before we act." Rocky said it slowly, but strength was in his voice. Susumu was silent for a while, unreadable.

"Brats," he scoffed, switching his gaze from the boys to Mori. He stared with steady, unwavering dark eyes. "There's so much more to it…but you're on the right track. Your grandfather's a good person; listen to him more. Just…promise me you will try."

"We will!" Tum-Tum exclaimed. Even Colt made a sound of agreement. Mori's gaze remained locked with Susumu's, and at the instant, some sort of understanding passed between them. Mori suddenly knew, yet didn't know, the truth.

"Hey, come over here!" Souji called, smiling and laughing, no doubt planning something. The boys hurried over as Souji rose and stood by Susumu's side. He grabbed the closest of Mori's grandsons, Rocky's, right hand. He then quickly snatched up Susumu's right hand, which tried to resist his grip, but apparently, Souji wasn't as weak as he looked most of the time.

"Pinky promise," Souji said, linking their pinky fingers together. "It's something I've seen kids do before. You have to say "I'll swallow a thousand needles" or something, if you lie."

"Souji, that's stupid," Susumu said, scowling.

"Kids do it," Souji reasoned.

"I'm not a kid, you know. I'm thirty-one." Mori raised an eyebrow in amusement. He acted a lot older than his age. Rocky didn't say anything, just stared in curiosity.

"You never play like a kid! Now, I'll say the words, you two just do…this." Souji shook their hands up and down, pinky fingers still linked.

"It's still stupid…"

"Little kids here do that too, sometimes," said Rocky.

"_Yubikiri genman_, I'll swallow a thousand needles if I lie. I promise," Souji sang. Susumu and Rocky dropped their hands when it was over and Mori recognized the stare that he gave his grandson, as if making another promise, a deeper one, without words.

"Hey, before you go, who made this?" Tum-Tum said, pointing at the paper crane on the table. Its surface of gold, brown, and other earthy colors gleamed in the sunlight that shone through the curtains. The flower pattern on the crane's body was golden, creating a harmonious balance between the rest of the paper. It stood on a perfect base, with perfect creases. "Please tell us!"

"The man who taught me the sword. The one who gave me a real sword. He made that for me before we came here," Souji said, smiling a wistful smile that seemed genuinely happy instead of the usual mask Mori saw. "He gave me a lecture, told me not to over exert myself."

"I thought that you didn't like him," Rocky said, saving Colt at the last minute from some of Susumu's growing glare and the argument that would have ensured. "You were upset that you started so young, right?"

"Oh, it's a double-edged blade, I suppose…" Souji said. "But I do not resent that man. He is very dear to me. Rather, he regrets that he gave me a sword. I…guess I don't really mind too much. It's my life, but I'd rather not see you do the same with yours."

"…I have an idea…" Susumu interrupted slowly. "_Big sister_ did say to show you three instead of tell you…Come on one more lesson before we leave."

Mori followed everyone outside, half dreading, and half-anticipating what the man had in store for his grandsons. There was an immense amount of power in those two men, hidden beneath layers. The practice area, which had obtained considerable wear and tear in the time Mori had been gone, was cleared of all equipment save for two wooden practice swords.

Susumu and Souji picked up the swords and stood across from each other. The tension between the two suddenly became so think it could be cut with a knife. Mori had never felt such an intense aura around two men who were about to engage in a fight. It was so thick he felt he would choke. The battle started silently, and wooden swords clashed. Sharp blows were exchanged at a furious pace.

"They're…so strong," Tum-Tum said in awe. Mori saw it before his grandsons did, though. Those eyes that normally were cheery and full of joy on Souji were now harsh, cruel, and unforgiving. Those eyes sent chills down Mori's spine. Susumu was awkward with a sword, he could see, by his stiff movements. He also took more blows, but never winced in pain. With their strength, those wounds would be quite serious.

The match finally ended after (What was it, minutes, hours?), with Souji as the clear winner. He had hit Susumu's wrists sharply one too many times and he ended up dropping the sword. It was in that instant, that one moment that the boys learned just what Susumu was trying to drill into their heads. They saw Souji's eyes, the ones Mori had seen before. The ones so full of killing intent that it made the person want to vomit and flee.

"W-what?" Rocky stumbled backwards. They were all in shock.

"Okita-san, you win," Susumu said slowly, eyes locked onto the other's. It took a few moments for Souji to come back to earth, for those scary eyes to fade into light-hearted ones.

"I'm sorry, you're not hurt too bad, are you?" he said in a genuine apology. Susumu shook his head and turned, albeit stiffly, to the boys.

"Don't you see? Don't you see what the world does to people?"

"…I am not the child of a man. I am the child of a demon…" Souji said, slowly turning around. "I told someone that a long time ago. Doing these things…will take away your humanity if you allow it."

"Then we won't let it get that far!" Rocky exclaimed. He didn't dare say so too harshly though.

"Just keep saying that. Don't ever forget it," Susumu said, stretching his bruised limbs, wincing in the slightest.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt you too bad?" Souji said worriedly. Susumu shook his head and Tum-Tum made a confused sound. Souji looked sheepish as he responded, "Oh, I can't hold my strength back a lot of the time…so I get out of hand and only see an enemy instead of a sparring partner.

"I had so many bruises from sparring with these wooden swords…" Souji said, running his hand over the splintered surface. "…Why do you want to be a ninja? I acquired those bruises to become strong. Why do you fight?"

"We want to protect people, our friends," Rocky answered. Mori knew he was thinking to their past adventures.

"At least, it's noble of you…" Souji said in a light, spacey voice. "If you ever heard my reason…well, it's silly is all."

"Huh?" Tum-Tum said. "Tell us!"

"Sorry, nope!" Souji said quickly, laughing. "Well, Yamazaki-kun, we should get going. I'm sure Ayumu-san would like to have me stop taking care of you now."

"You'll all be fine now, I think," Susumu said as Souji rushed off to the house to retrieve their bags. "Just…don't forget us. I don't mean to sound sentimental about that, either."

Mori nodded; he could tell Susumu wasn't the sentimental type. Goodbyes were exchanged for the next few minutes and Mori saw that his grandsons really did enjoy having the two men over, even if they said otherwise. They left, walking down the wooden bridge and into the forest. Mori and his grandsons waved until they disappeared from sight.

"Do you think we'll see them again?" Tum-Tum asked.

"I'm sure we will," Mori said, heading back toward the house. "Anyone up for macaroni and cheese?"

"Yes!" Colt shouted, finally gaining back his usual attitude. "Finally, _American_ food! No more rice!"

Mori chuckled and cast one last look behind him. In the far distance of the woods, he saw a thick mist settling in for the night. For a brief second, almost so quickly that Mori thought that he didn't see it at all, he knew just what those two men were.

The trees disappeared, in its place were houses of old, in Japan, the kind that could only be seen in Kyoto these days[10]. There were stone walls, dirt streets, and paper lanterns lit by flame. The night was clear of pollution, but clouds drifted over the moon. The quiet night was pierced by screams. In one of the streets was a battle between men, samurai in dull clothes, and other samurai in flamboyant blue jackets. Blood, limbs, and head went flying, splattering the walls. Swords rang shrilly through the air, battle cries were shouted.

One was familiar to Mori, the feminine figure of Souji and his long purple hair. There was a vast difference between the one Mori knew, albeit, briefly, and the one he saw. The one here was dressed in the blue uniform, blood soaking into the material. This one's hair wasn't loose, but tied into a high ponytail. This Souji's eyes were that of the ones Mori had seen before, the deadly, demonic ones. The ones that only saw enemies. Instead of the wooden sword he'd wielded before, he held a sharpened, silver blade coated with shining blood. He hacked, to put it simply, away at the other samurai without a second thought. His comrades did the same.

Then, as it had come, the vision faded into the mist, leaving only the reddish tinge of the sunset behind. Mori felt that chill travel down his spine once more. His grandsons were beckoning for him in the house, though, so he shook his head and pushed the bloody streets and swordsmen behind him.

* * *

Footnotes:

[1] Kimono- Japanese dress, what the boys wore last chapter. It is only mentioned as a dress because Tum-Tum doesn't know the word kimono.

[2] Ane-ue- big sister, a more respectful term.

[3] Only death will cure a fool- this is a Japanese proverb. I don't actually believe that, but it fits.

[4] Reference to when Tetsu joined the Shinsengumi, and they showed him what it was like to be a "demon" by showing him the killing of some people.

[5] Yubikiri genman- Pinky promise, sung by children, used with right pinky fingers.

[6] The man…exert myself- Get it by now? It's Hijikata. Yay!

[7] This is said in Japanese.

[8] I can't…sparring partner- This is paraphrased from the manga.

[9] If you ever heard….silly is all- This is a reference to why he fought. Just what I think, you may be able to figure it out.

[10] Houses in Kyoto- Kyoto was one of the cities that escaped WWII with minimal damages, so most of its original buildings still remain.

[11] Jackets- Shinsengumi haori

There are many quotes in here from the anime/manga. I do not own them. That is all.

Yeah, Ayumu was finally here! And Hijikata was mentioned more.

Who do you think's together? Just a little tidbit I want to know opinions about...

There's one last chapter after this one by the way.


	7. Chapter 7: Real

When the three siblings arrived home later in the summer, they had learned so much it was hard to remember everything, but they never did forget their temporary teachers and the most important lessons they taught. They just refused to tell their parents the details. There was some feeling deep within them that urged them to keep quiet about it, to only discuss it among themselves and their grandfather.

A week before back to school, in the public library, the three boys were researching for their summer assignments. Colt was on the computer, Rocky was in the books, and Tum-Tum switched off between the two. Somewhere along the line Rocky got sidetracked by the tons of books in the library's shelves.

Whether it was by pure coincidence or some kind of fate, he pulled out a few book on ancient Japan. In the meantime, Colt was pulling up a few web pages about samurai in Japan, in the mid 1800's.

"Oh, Rocky, come here! Look, look!" Tum-Tum said excitedly. His brother hastily shushed him as he walked over.

"Don't get us kicked out again!" he said in a harsh whisper. "What is it?"

"Look, Colt's found something." Tum-Tum pointed at the computer screen. Colt had an article on a group of samurai on it; he was scrolling through the page.

"They were hired to protect Kyoto," Colt said, skimming. "Here's a list of their rules. It's pretty interesting."

Rocky put his books down and pulled over a chair, having a feeling that this would take longer than he wanted.

**_The Strictures of the Shinsengumi_**

**_One,_**_ you must not stray from the samurai's code._

**_Two,_**_ desertion is not permitted._

**_Three,_**_ you will not raise funds without permission._

**_Four,_**_ you will not take up litigious matters without permission._

**_Five_**_, private conflicts are not permitted._

_Those who defy these articles shall be sentenced to commit seppuku, without fail._

"Wow, so strict," Tum-Tum said, reminding himself to keep his voice low as soon as he'd finished saying "wow". Rocky raised an eyebrow.

"This is all very interesting, but we have a report to write," the eldest pointed out. Colt grumbled and scrolled through the page a last time.

"Hey…" he said suddenly, as Rocky was walking away. "Come back."

"What now?"

"Look at the members list…" Colt said, his voice falling into a low, frightened whisper as if he'd just seen the scariest movie in his life.

"I don't see…"

"Just look!" Rocky rolled his eyes and put his books down again, wondering if they would ever get that report down today. He focused on the screen and read the names out loud.

"Commander, Kondo Isami. Vice Commanders, Yamanami Keisuke and Hijikata Toshizou. Captain of the first squad…" Rocky suddenly knew why Colt was so spooked. His blood ran cold as well. There was silence for awhile after he said two simple words:

"_…Okita Souji_."

"…W-what?" Tum-Tum said. "You didn't read it wrong?"

"No," Rocky said, glancing at the screen as if he were expecting the swordsman to come out of the computer. Colt was stiffly moving the cursor to click on the name. Another page was brought up.

"Okita Souji, died in 1868…" Colt whispered. "It's him. How can it be _him_?"

"It's not another one?" Tum-Tum asked, his voice afraid as well by now.

"No…No, it's him."

"Was that…a ghost then? What about Yamazaki?" It felt weird saying their names now. Colt looked up the cold ninja's name and sure enough, he came up as well. It was the same. They were real. They died over a hundred years ago.

"It can't be…" Tum-Tum said.

"…They wanted to teach us, right?" Rocky said slowly, mulling it over in his head. "They didn't want us to make the mistakes they did. They had time to think about those mistakes, if they're dead. They also were surprised by most normal things."

"Like refrigerators and the lights," Colt imputed.

"They wore old Japanese clothes, knew weapons better than themselves. Yamazaki said something like "You can't kill people so easily," or something…They were like war veterans."

"G-ghosts?" Tum-Tum stuttered. "They were real. We touched them!"

"Ghosts that could interact with the living?" Colt offered. Rocky shivered.

"Think about what their lives were like back then. Why try to help us kids onto the right path? Surely, they cut kids down as well, surely they killed when they were little too…" Rocky tried to find a reason, but it didn't work.

"That means…Yamazaki's sister is dead too. She was weird, just coming in like that in the middle of the night, then leaving," said Colt.

"Not just that…She said something happening a long time ago, after Yamazaki said something in Japanese. She disappeared as you said, and that's weird…And, how did they leave the woods? It's a long walk. I doubt many would walk that far these days without a cab. They seemed fine when they arrived too, and they walked that time as well."

"They cooked weird foods…" Tum-Tum said.

"Okita said that he got sick a lot…" Colt said. He repeated two more times and hit a realization. Clicking the back button, he returned to the page on Okita Souji and read through the brief history. He found what he was looking for and gulped. "Died of tuberculosis when he was twenty five, approximately. Didn't he say…"

"He was twenty-five?" Tum-Tum finished.

"Wait, do the math," Rocky said quickly. "Yamazaki, he said he was thirty-one."

"Something doesn't add up," Colt said after he'd finished. "He died when he was thirty-five."

"They were practically murderers," Rocky said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "But they wanted to help us."

"Wait, this says that Yamazaki was a spy," Colt pointed out.

"Well, I guess they're the same…" Tum-Tum still seemed scared about that.

"They didn't want us to live like they did," Rocky finished softly.

* * *

Footnotes:

[1] The Strictures of the Shinsengumi- the rules made by Hijikata Toshizou that governed the Shinsengumi. From the Peacemaker anime, and history of course.

[2] Seppuku- ritual suicide

[3] Doesn't add up- My bad…I mixed ages of the peacemaker timeline and the death ages. Well, Susumu forgot, let's just say that.

Last chapter! This was a great journey and it was so fun writing this, especially the Peacemaker cast.

Don't forget your opinions! I still would like reviews, even though it's done...

Don't own anyone here, nor do I own the strictures and stuff.


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